1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to an assembly of an engine and a transmission, and a utility vehicle equipped with the assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to an assembly of an engine and a transmission that is mounted in vehicles such as two-wheel-drive utility vehicles and four-wheel-drive utility vehicles, and a utility vehicle equipped with the assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, it has been known that a reinforcing element is used to provide a firm coupling between an engine and a transmission (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei. 8-61469). The reinforcing element, for example, a stiffener, is mounted to provide firm coupling between the engine and the transmission, which are coupled to each other.
In some vehicles, the engine and the transmission are mounted in an uncoupled state to a frame of a vehicle body, because a distance between the engine and the transmission is required to be adjusted to allow a belt converter to be mounted thereto.
To be specific, as shown in FIG. 7, an engine 51 and a transmission 52 are mounted to a frame F with an appropriate distance between the engine 51 and the transmission 52, i.e., an appropriate center distance between an output shaft 53 of the engine 51 and an input shaft 54 of the transmission 52. The center distance between the output shaft 53 and the input shaft 54 is set using a jig. This is because accurate alignment is necessary so that a drive pulley of the belt converter is coupled to the output shaft 53 and a driven pulley of the belt converter is coupled to the input shaft 54.
If the center distance between the engine 51 and the transmission 52 that are thus mounted to the frame F varies due to tension or the like of a belt of the belt converter, then acceleration and deceleration capabilities produced by the belt converter may vary. To inhibit variation in the center distance during an operation of the engine 51, a coupling plate 55 is used to couple the engine 51 and the transmission 52 that are mounted to the frame F. The coupling plate 55 is constructed of a metal plate. The coupling plate 55 is fastened at one end thereof to a suitable location of a crankcase 51a of the engine 51 by a fastener bolt 56 and at an opposite end thereof to a suitable location of a housing 52a of the transmission 52 by the fastener bolt 56. Thus, the center distance between the engine 51 and the transmission 52 is fixed.
In the above described construction, it is necessary to mount the engine 51 and the transmission 52 to the frame F with the jig for alignment of these components, and to fasten the coupling plate 55 to the engine 51 and the transmission 52 by the fastener bolts 56. Furthermore, since the coupling plate 55 is mounted after the engine 51 and the transmission 52 are positioned with respect to the frame F, it is necessary to set larger diameters of bolt holes of the coupling plate 55 to allow deviation in the position of the bolts. This may cause an error in the center distance.